Islamabad: The Pakistani government has issued a warning to all Afghan refugees holding legal residency documents, stating that they must leave the country by March 31 or face deportation.
In a directive issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Interior, Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards or Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) have been given three weeks to voluntarily leave the country. The ministry also announced that deportations would begin on April 1, 2025.
The directive states: "In continuation of the government’s decision to expel all illegal foreigners, the national leadership has now decided to repatriate ACC cardholders as well. All illegal foreigners and ACC cardholders are instructed to leave voluntarily by March 31, as deportations will commence on April 1, 2025."
The Pakistani government has not provided an official reason for this decision but emphasized that undocumented Afghan refugees were given sufficient time to leave voluntarily.
Prior to this directive, the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation had urged Pakistan to slow down the deportation process for Afghan refugees.
According to a United Nations report, there are currently 3.2 million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, both documented and undocumented. This figure includes over 600,000 Afghans who fled to Pakistan following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
This latest order follows Pakistan’s previous decision in October 2023 to deport undocumented Afghan refugees. Since November 2023, nearly 842,000 Afghan refugees have reportedly returned to Afghanistan.
The new directive comes amid growing concerns from international organizations. Amnesty International recently expressed alarm over reports of Afghan refugees being detained and deported by Pakistani authorities in Islamabad. The organization has called for an immediate halt to the deportation process and the reversal of a new policy requiring additional documentation for Afghan residents in the city.
